Public and Private Partnership - Health and Nutritional Care and Support Services to HIV Infected Children in Khammam and Chittoor Districts

HIV epidemic in India is heterogeneous in nature, both in terms of routes of transmission as well as geographic spread. Every minute that passes a child under 15 years dies of an AIDS related illness and four young people aged 15–24 years become infected with HIV. Moreover, one third of HIV positive children die before the age of 1.5 years while half of them die by two years of age.

This study was conducted to assess the services providing to HIV infected children and the levels of public and private partnership services in health and nutritional aspects.

The study areas were public and private hospitals in Khammam and Chioor Districts. A total of 240 samples comprised of 120 care takers of children infected with AIDS and 120 service providers. Sample was selected by random and purposive sampling techniques. Data collection by using structured interview schedule consists of the services providing to HIV infected children. Matrix used for assessment of levels of public and private partnership.

The caretakers identified the services of CIAs was differed as the odds ratio is 1.375. The comparison of care and support services of CIAs as identified by the service providers showed that did not differed as the odds ratio is less than one. The levels of partnership in four areas need identification, planning, implementation and evaluation showed the partnership is present at active level only in area of implementation of services to HIV infected children.

Children infected with AIDS caretakers and service provider's majority identified the existing care and support services are important. If we ensures the partnership at active level in all the four areas which contribute to quality of service delivery and also improves the level of commitment.